


Damaging

by fishfingersandjellybabies



Category: Batman (Comics), Nightwing (Comics)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-19
Updated: 2017-04-19
Packaged: 2018-10-20 20:30:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,055
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10670214
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fishfingersandjellybabies/pseuds/fishfingersandjellybabies
Summary: Dick has always known about Damian’s insecurities. Just like he knew that he just made them worse without meaning to, and might not be able to fix it this time.





	Damaging

**Author's Note:**

> Based on the Nightwing 19 preview, where Dick’s just so confused as to why Hurt would harm and take Damian. I feel like it’s just…super hella obvious to the whole world how close he and Damian are, and yet here he is just super oblivious? Mostly because he doesn’t believe himself important enough that people/Robin would be taken and harmed to get at him. Like, he’s not as big as Batman, so he thinks it would just make sense? But then with his oblivious, Damian takes it as their closeness not being true, that Dick doesn’t care about him as much as he cares about Dick. And I feel like Hurt would totally play off those insecurities just to get the ‘moral’ high ground/victory against Dick.

Hurt stood in the middle of the room, Deathwing to his left. Damian slumped against the wall to his right, feet and hands bound, blood still dripping from his gunshot wound – not to mention the bruises and cuts on his face and bare hands. Apparently they’d beaten him after they shot him, too.

But it still didn’t make _sense_.

Shawn gasped, and Hurt and Deathwing didn’t try to stop her when she ran to Damian’s side. Damian himself stared blearily up at her, and didn’t fight when she began to look him over.  

“Let him go.” Dick hissed, and Hurt smirked. “Let him go right _now_.”

“Why would I do that?” Hurt purred. Deathwing smirked.

“Look, there’s…there’s better ways to get to Batman, okay?” Dick tried. “In fact, if you let Robin go, I’ll get Batman here for you right-”

“Batman?” Hurt cut off, confusion marring his face. “Wha…you think I took that little brat to get at _Batman_?”

Dick blinked, glanced over at Damian, then back to the two in front of him.

“Why _else_ would you…”

“ _You_ , Richard.” Simon corrected. “I took the boy to get at _you_.”

“…What…?”

“It was the two of you who brought about my demise last time.” Simon explained, though almost seemed unsure as to why he had to. “And even back then, it was _clear_ to me how much you meant to that child. I…I merely _assumed_ that the feeling was mutual, and he meant just as much to _you_ , too.”

“No, he…” Dick looked over at Damian once more. Now curled painfully up in Shawn’s arms, still bound, Damian was watching him with tired, sad, and worst of all, _hurt_ eyes. “He _does_ , I just-”

“All this time, he just kept _swearing_ to us that you’d come rescue him. That you’d beat me just like you did the last time.” Hurt continued. “Hell, his speeches about your nobility and strength got so _annoying_ , Deathwing had to _beat_ him into silence.”

Deathwing smirked behind him.

“But here, it just turns out…we were wrong.” Simon looked over at Damian himself now. “Imagine that.”

“No.” Dick pushed, stepping forward. “No, you’re _not_. He means the _world_ to me. Of course he does, why else would I-”

“Apologies, my young boy.” Hurt directed to Damian. Dick looked back at him too, and he could already see it. Could already see Damian believing Hurt’s every word. Letting Hurt’s taunts encourage his deepest insecurities. “I thought you were _important_.”

Damian just swallowed the clear lump in his throat.

“It appears…you’ve inadvertently beat me again.” Hurt sighed. “Here I thought I had the ultimate weapon against you.”

“Stop.” Dick growled. Hurt ignored him, though. Turned away and began to move towards Damian and Shawn. Shawn just held Damian tighter, trying to shield him. “Don’t – _Don’t you dare hurt him again!”_

“Why would _I_ bother hurting him again when _you’re_ doing such a better job of it yourself?” Hurt snorted as he crouched in front of Shawn and Damian. He smiled to her as he grabbed Damian’s tied wrists. He carefully pulled a knife out, cutting the binds off his arms and legs. “You’re free to go, young lad.”

Damian just stared up at him emotionlessly.

“I’m sorry for the unnecessary pain.” He reached up, and held Damian’s face. Damian flinched away from the touch, closer into Shawn’s embrace. “I’d fix it if, like I said, you were worth anything. But, as stated before-”

“ _Don’t_.” Dick hissed, pulling out an escrima stick and stomping forward. “Don’t say another _goddamn_ word to him.”

Hurt smirked, and patted Damian’s cheek roughly before standing. “Come, Deathwing. It appears our work is done, for the time being.” He turned towards the door, and therefore, towards Dick. “Until next time, Mr. Grayson.”

Dick remained silent, watching as Dr. Hurt and Deathwing left the warehouse. He debated going after them, but knew he couldn’t. One, because Damian needed him, and two-

Going after Hurt and leaving Damian behind would probably only make the thoughts Hurt already implanted into Damian’s head worse.

He spun around, racing towards Damian and Shawn. He could hear Shawn murmuring to Damian, rocking him carefully. Damian was slumped against her, eyes only half open.

“Robin.” He breathed, crouching in front of him. “ _Damian_ , are you-”

“I’m fine.” Damian cut off, suddenly pushing away from Shawn and struggling to his feet. “Your woman is safe now, correct? Now that Hurt has stood down?”

“…Sure, but-” Dick reached out, tried to help Damian to stand. Damian shook his hand away, even as he staggered to the side and grabbed the wall. “Here, let me help you…”

“I don’t need it.” Damian wheezed, stepping away from him. “I’m fine.”

“Damian…”

“Batman will need a report.” Damian rasped, then coughed. “I need to get back to Gotham immediately. Take Ms. Tsang home. Make sure she is okay.”

Damian began to hobble around him, towards the door himself.

“Robin…” Shawn tried.

“Damian, stop, please.” Dick reached out one more time, put a hand on Damian’s shoulder.

(Could feel the blood seeping through the uniform. The shoulder blade that was dislocated.)

“What he said.” Dick whispered. Damian didn’t look back at him. “It’s not…it’s not _true_ , Damian. Please tell me you know that. I don’t…I don’t _not_ care about you. I _love_ you, more than any-”

“I said I’m fine, Nightwing.” Damian shrugged Dick’s hand off, took another harsh step forward. “Now I need to go. If you need any further assistance with this case, I’ll make sure the Red Hood is available.”

Dick gasped out loud before he could stop himself.

“Damian, no, please. Wait.” He didn’t reach out this time, just took a step after his brother. Damian limped away faster. “You _are_ important. To _me_ , Damian, you’re one of the _most important_ people in my li-”

“Goodbye, Nightwing.” Damian whispered. But the sound was so rough, Dick thought maybe he was crying. But Damian didn’t look back, so he couldn’t confirm.

He took another step after Damian, but Damian gathered all of the strength he didn’t truly have and practically ran out the door.

Dick sighed, felt his shoulders slump. Could feel Shawn’s sad eyes on him, but couldn’t bear to look at her. Not right now.

The damage had been done.


End file.
